SACHIN XL Keeper Of Our Hopes His continuing passion and enthusiasm imbues the cliche, ‘Forty is the new twenty’, with a new meaning. That’s what we call the issue. BORIA MAJUMDAR

APOORVA SALKADE

Last hurdle The World Cup won: one of Sachin's finest hours

SACHIN XL

Keeper Of Our Hopes

His continuing passion and enthusiasm imbues the cliche, 'Forty is the new twenty', with a new meaning. That's what we call the issue.

BORIA MAJUMDAR

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?285008

Amitabh Bachchan summed it up nicely. "I'd be embarrassed if you compare Sachin with me for I have not achieved half of what he has." Yes, he was being modest. No question about it. But there aren't many in India about whom India's greatest living icon can say such a thing.

There isn't anyone else for whom Lata Mangeshkar will, unasked, sing a couple of lines ofMera saaya. As Lataji told me with a smile, "He loves this song."

And there is no one else for whom Asha Bhosle will frame the words of her favourite song in her own handwriting and send it across, hoping he'd put it up in his music room.

Sachin Tendulkar is a pan-Indian love affair. Rather, he is trans-national. He is the only cricketer to get a standing ovation in every cricket-playing country in the world. For us Indians, he is a national obsession and has been so for the past 24 years. Despite a billion people living his life for him, he has performed at his best for two decades and more. He has given Indian cricket a voice that reverberates around the world and has single-handedly given our cricket a kind of reverence seldom rivalled in the annals of the sport.

For no other person could we have assembled the line-up we have in this very special effort. The best of India and the world loves Sachin. And the best of the best, across professions and disciplines, would want to wish him a very happy 40th birthday. His continuing passion and enthusiasm imbues the cliche, 'Forty is the new twenty', with a new meaning. That's what we call the issue. Happy birthday, Sachin.

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Boria Majumdar, Guest Editor

ISSUE EDITORS BORIA MAJUMDAR AND SATISH PADMANABHAN; RESEARCH HARINI RANA, TIMES NOW

MARATHON MAESTRO: SACHIN XL

SACHIN XL Keeper Of Our Hopes His continuing passion and enthusiasm imbues the cliche, 'Forty is the new twenty', with a new meaning. That's what we call the issue. BORIA MAJUMDAR

OPINION Straight Batting Tales He saw the artistry closer than the rest—a tribute to warm, humane Sachin SOURAV GANGULY

SACHIN XL 24 Years, 50 Grounds, 100 Tons The Bandra boy's globe-trotting exploits, mapped for future generations

SACHIN XL For When The Boundaries Grow Shorter A hundred reasons, a hundred Sachin centuries, explained

OPINION Marquee Man Extraordinaire Awe, fear, respect...he inspires it all among us Australians PETER ENGLISH

OPINION Through A Gap In The Don's Bend The cult of 99.94 endures, but Sachin has had a greater impact on the game TOM HEENAN, DAVID DUNSTAN

INTERVIEW 'His Is An Absolute Love Affair' The former Indian coach and ex-SA opener on what he thinks about Sachin the man and the cricketer BORIA MAJUMDAR INTERVIEWS GARY KIRSTEN

OPINION The Genius Characteristic Sachin reminded us English that if you're good enough, you're old enough ANTHONY BATEMAN

OPINION When I Got His Elbow Injury itself did not frustrate him, not being able to play did ANDREW LEIPUS

OPINION He Played For India Sachin exceeds cricket. He's our square yard in sporting heaven. BORIA MAJUMDAR

OPINION The Quick Versus The Quicker A rival from the other end of the pitch reflects on Sachin's reflexes SHANE BOND

INTERVIEW 'I'll Tell My Grandkids I Battled With My Hero' The former Kiwi captain on his idol —a rival he has always loved seeing bat, even if that means suffering DEEP DASGUPTA INTERVIEWS ROSS TAYLOR

INTERVIEW 'I Wondered If The Young Bloke Could Challenge Us' As Murali himself turns 41, one giant of the game pays tribute to another @40 SOUVIK NAHA INTERVIEWS MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN

INTERVIEW 'It's Very Special, His Pure Talent' One of the best bowlers in the shorter formats, on his Mumbai Indians mate DEEP DASGUPTA INTERVIEWS LASITH MALINGA

OPINION And So Say All Of Us Sachin reserved his best for Australia. Three of their best salute the incomparable MICHAEL CLARKE, DAVID WARNER, MATTHEW HAYDEN

INTERVIEW 'It Was Best Not To Say Much' It was one of modern cricket's best contests, a matching of skills that will go down in the annals of the game. OUTLOOK INTERVIEWS GLENN MCGRATH

OPINION Exceptions To The Rule Sachin and Manmohan, two for the times, made India a global player BRIAN STODDART

INTERVIEW 'I Haven't Achieved Half Of What Sachin Has' The Big B speaks about his favourite Indian cricketer and how he feels about being compared to Sachin. BORIA MAJUMDAR INTERVIEWS AMITABH BACHCHAN

OPINION Him, And My Granddad's Magazine Sachin has nothing left to prove. A last African safari would bring joy. ALLAN DONALD

INTERVIEW 'Sachin Taught Me The Impossible Is Attainable' The true successor to Usain Bolt was all gung-ho when asked if he'd be keen to talk about Sachin on the eve of his 40th birthday BORIA MAJUMDAR INTERVIEWS YOHAN BLAKE

OPINION Grace Under Pressure, And Fit Forever Pressure has been his constant companion. Yet, he has never ever let it get the better of him or his bat. SANIA MIRZA, SHOAIB MALIK

OPINION Anyone For Tennis? This national icon also wields a racquet and has a mean forehand MAHESH BHUPATHI

OPINION Is He 40 Already? India's coming of age story, in many ways, mirrors Sachin's KADAMBARI MURALI WADE

OPINION Never Leave Your Bat Boria Majumdar meets the man who first realised Sachin's genius BORIA MAJUMDAR

OPINION The Court Will Go Into Recess, It's That Boy Lawyers both, and politicians on rival sides, Jaitley and Sibal are united in their love for Tendulkar ARUN JAITLEY, KAPIL SIBAL

OPINION His Gentlest Touch Turns The Game For Sachin, self-interest has never taken precedence over an India win RAJIV SHUKLA

INTERVIEW 'I Don't Have Any Doubt That Indian Cricket Needs Tendulkar' The BCCI boss shares his memories of Sachin's career and his cricketing legacy BORIA MAJUMDAR INTERVIEWS N. SRINIVASAN

OPINION You Are Sixteen, We Are Seventeen The insuperable singing sisters of Bollywood sustain the high notes for their favourite cricketer and fellow Mumbaikar LATA MANGESHKAR, ASHA BHOSLE

OPINION Frame For Frame, No Cuts Two cricket-mad filmwallahs replay their favourite Sachin montages ARBAAZ KHAN, BONEY KAPOOR

OPINION The Mumbai Knight Rider! Sachin: our antidote to life's setbacks ANJAN CHATTERJEE, MIR

Shutterbug's Bunny Sachin in pictures: with mates long ago and wrapped in family

QUIZ Fascinating Forty Off the beaten track, these 40 questions try to test your knowledge on the legend and his legendary prowess with the willow. SUVAM PAL

SACHIN XL Roaring Lion To Cricket's Cubs Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, Sreesanth, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Laxmipathy Balaji on the little master

SACHIN XL Sach11@outlook Sachin and Outlook, on a parallel course of history

SACHIN XL Snippets@Sachin Little high, little low: stories, anecdotes, sidelights

NATIONAL JD(U) STRATEGY Multiple Choice Qs Nitish's anti-Modi positioning conceals a more nuanced take on NDA SABA NAQVI OPINION The Federalism #Spoilu Recasting his anti-Modi line, Nitish works the regional parties NEELABH MISHRA